Vote on naming a ship

 AARRRGH, Crazy, Gah., humor, news, ships, ಠ_ಠ  12 Responses »
Mar 192016
 

The Brits have themselves a new research vessel. Looks like this:

They’re holding open voting to name the ship. Some of the names suggested have been the RRS Henry Worseley and the RRS David Attenborough. But what name is winning the popular vote just now? Hmm, let’s see…

‘Boaty McBoatface’ Is Currently Leading An Open Vote To Name The New £200 Million Royal Research Ship

This is a reminder, as if it was really needed, that democracy isn’t *always* the answer. “What shall we name our ship?” “Engine #2 has burst into flames. What shall we do?” “Should we use the power of government to stomp all over such-and-such ethnic/religious/economic group?” These are the sort of questions it’s often best to *not* put in the hands of the mob.

 Posted by at 8:06 pm

Panoramas

 awesomeness, photography, Utah  2 Responses »
Mar 192016
 

Some recent views of the Thatcher area…

2016-03-08 pano 3 2016-03-08 pano 2

 

And this sure looked like a giant-scale trilobite fossil in the sky. Well, I suppose Cthulhu has to snack on *something*…2016-02-29 pano 07 2016-02-29 pano 02

 Posted by at 7:04 pm

Techno Arms MAG-7

 history, Hmm..., Meh., weapons, youtube  2 Responses »
Mar 182016
 

A video explainer of a very unusual shotgun from South Africa. It was designed for 12 gauge shotgun shells that cannot be obtained; the only shells that it’ll run that can actually be purchased are quite weak, with the end result being that the gun… just ain’t that good.

 Posted by at 11:32 pm

Dumbth is winning

 AARRRGH, Crazy, dumbassery, Forward!, Gah., news, nukes, politics, ಠ_ಠ  4 Responses »
Mar 182016
 

AAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh…………..

For First Time, Majority in U.S. Oppose Nuclear Energy

54% opposed, 44% in favor.

And here’s the combination “well dug” and “umm, what” chart:

That Democrats are so opposed to nukes? Not surprising. The sudden crash in Republican acceptance of nukes? Shocking and appalling.

 Posted by at 5:15 pm

Political Violence

 Crazy, dumbassery, Forward!, Gah., Hmm..., news, politics, ಠ_ಠ  5 Responses »
Mar 182016
 

Oddly enough, this post isn’t about Trump rallies.

IL Rep. Soto’s daughter, campaign volunteer charged in attack on opponent

In short: one Robert Zwolinski was running for the office currently held by one Cynthia Soto, competing against her in the party primary. As goes the tale: Soto’s daughter Jessica and others were stapling up campaign ads/flyers for her mom…a  perfectly cromulent thing to do, but kinda questionable to do outside the opponents campaign office. When  Zwolinski came out to ask what they were doing, Jessica Soto and her boyfriend bashed him upside the head with a bottle, punched him down to the ground, kicked him and used a staple gun on his forehead. Zwolinski suffered substantial lacerations and a broken nose.

Go ahead and guess at the the party affiliation of Cynthia Soto.  Go  on, I dare you.

Bonus round – guess which one is Zwolinski and which one is Soto:

So how do we b lame the Tea Party for this?

 Posted by at 4:20 pm

Want. Wantwantwantwantwant. WANT.

 aircraft, awesomeness, youtube  3 Responses »
Mar 182016
 

The “Parrot Disco” drone, an RC airplane built around a high-def camera. I have no doubt that this thing will be *blisteringly* expensive… but I also have no doubt that if the comm system can be made secure, the Army and the Marines will buy them by the truckload. These look a whole lot like the old, failed Lockheed “Aquila” drones from the 80’s, but, you know, portable and *usable.*

I’m sure that people who know about such things are looking into replacing the camera with something a bit more IR; replacing the prop with something quieter. Put a turret on the underside with a decent laser pointer in it, and this would provide a *dandy* accessory to the Raytheon Pike missile system. Just imagine a two-man crew… one controlling the drone, the other firing a 40mm grenade launcher, able to bullseye a womprat from a mile or so away and with hills in between.

 

 Posted by at 12:18 pm

“Free coffee for life” at the very least

 Crazy, dumbassery, news, weapons, ಠ_ಠ  3 Responses »
Mar 172016
 

So, there’s a 7-11 in White Center, Washington, where a 60-year-old feller comes in about every morning to get a cup of coffee. Sunday morning he was having his coffee when another person came in swinging a hatchet; he briefly attacked Mr. Coffee Guy, then went after the clerk. Probably shoulda spent a little more effort on Mr. Coffee Guy, because if you are a hatchet-swinging nutjob it’s unwise to turn your back on a guy armed with a gun and the caffeine jitters.

Customer shoots masked, hatchet-swinging attacker at 7-Eleven

 Posted by at 3:56 pm
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